Mayor Mike Seferian has chosen Michael Beazley, currently the administrator of Lucas County, as Oregon’s city administrator.

Seferian called a special council meeting for 5 p.m. Thursday to announce his choice. Council is expected to approve the appointment.

Candidates interested in the position submitted 60 resumes to the city by the Dec. 15 deadline, though Beazley did not submit one.

Seferian, an independent, said he had his eye on Beazley, a Democrat, since former city administrator Ken Filipiak left last November.

“Mike Beazley has never applied for a job since his career started. People have always come after him,” said Seferian, who met with Beazley, 55, twice at his home in the last several weeks to discuss the position.

“When I first had him here at my house, I could see a gleam in his eye, like excitement,” added Seferian. “He reminds me of a young, eager person fresh out of college, willing to take on anything with enthusiasm. He is very bright. He’s got not only experience, but connections throughout the county, to Columbus, and even to the White House. He’s a class act. He’s the real deal. He’s too good to be true.”

When Owens College softball players Lydia Eckel and Aerica Susor first chose to

volunteer community service alongside their teammates, they probably never thought they would be providing relief efforts for Haiti earthquake victims.

The two Genoa High graduates were two of 20 Owens’ student-athletes who volunteered on Martin Luther King Day.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the softball players began painting the waiting room, assembling survival backpacks for the homeless, and stocking and sorting food items at Food For Thought, which is located in New Harvest Christian Church on Seaman Road in Oregon. They planned to stay until 3 p.m.

Food for Thought was founded with the overall mission of assisting the needy through the organization’s stationary food pantry, mobile food pantry, and picnic program. Six days per week, Food For Thought is credited with providing community outreach services to thousands of individuals as part of its efforts to increase access to food for hungry people.

“Having people volunteer, and having all these girls here from the Owens softball team taking what’s a day off for them and spending it here is great,” said New Harvest Church Senior Pastor Mike Przylbylski.

Mike Beazley, Oregon’s new city administrator, has extensive experience in public office and has had high profile positions in northwest Ohio in the last several years.

Since 2005, he has been county administrator for the Board of Lucas County Commissioners.

Previously, he has held the following positions:• City clerk/clerk of council for the City of Toledo from 1998 – 2005;• Board member of the Lucas County Board of Elections from 1989 - 1998; and chairman of the board of elections from 1991 – 1998;• Member of the Bishop’s Education Council with the Catholic Diocese of Toledo from 1995 – 2004; and president of the Bishop’s Education Council from 2001 – 2004;• Director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, 1983 – 1989;• Member of the State of Ohio Board of Voting Machine Examiners, 1983 – 1991;• Trustee of the Ohio Association of Elections Officials;

Humane Ohio, a non-profit organization that provides low-cost spay/neuter to cats, is planning its annual “Beat the Heat” promotion next month to battle the expected influx of unwanted litters.

For just $20, Humane Ohio for the month of February will spay female cats in an effort to prevent unwanted litters in the spring and summer.

The special rate is even less than the group’s normal low-cost price and applies to all residents of Lucas and Wood counties (must provide proof of residency).

To take advantage of the rate, cat owners must mention “Beat the Heat” when scheduling their appointments at 419-266-5607.

Jill Borkowski, marketing manager for Humane Ohio, said the group started the “Beat the Heat” promotion in 2007 to avoid the onslaught of unwanted litters in the spring and summer, the peak period for litters. The special rate of $20 is less than half or the group’s normal low-cost price, she added.

“Beat the Heat has become an annual promotion that’s in its third year. During the 2009 “Beat the Heat” promotion, we spayed 266 female cats and prevented countless unwanted litters,” said Borkowski.

Area school administrators agree there are many benefits for children to be enrolled in an all-day, everyday kindergarten program.

Then there is the ever present issue of having to fund it.

State Representative Randy Gardner last week offered sponsor testimony for a bill he introduced in November that would exempt districts from a requirement in the state’s biennium budget for all-day kindergarten and what he says are other unfunded mandates.

“The state operating budget has already cut state aid to school funding by $497 million, and these mandates will only further the financial burden of many school districts during this economic turmoil,” he said.

His bill, HB 366, directs the Ohio School Funding Advisory Council to identify unfunded or underfunded school mandates enacted in the budget. A member of the council, Rep. Gardner says he’s already raised concerns at the panel’s first meeting.

“Under the new biennial budget, every school district for the first time in decades saw a significant cut to their funding. When enacted, my legislation will allow each school district’s board of education to decide if they can adopt the new education regulations, taking into account each district’s budgetary constraints,” Gardner said.